It was insult to injury.
One of the residents burned out of a Central Lonsdale apartment building says his suite was apparently looted at some point while he wasn’t allowed back in.
Quinten Issigonis was working on a film set in Kelowna at the time of the Dec. 12 fire, but his brother was home cat-sitting for him. When the fire alarms went off around 5:30 a.m., his brother scrambled to get the kitty out and left with nothing else but his car keys and phone.
The property has since been turned over to Barclay Restorations, a Surrey-based company that deals with burnt-out buildings. They erected fences, hired security guards and changed the locks on the building.
When Issigonis was finally let back into his suite on Dec. 21 to collect important belongings, he found his apartment door was not only unlocked but open. Inside, they found evidence of theft.
Curiously, his brother’s wallet was gone but someone had taken steps to leave all of his ID cards stacked on the night table. Jewelry from inside a leather bag stashed in his sock drawer and other items were missing, and whoever was in his apartment after the fire found two envelopes he and his girlfriend had stashed some cash in.
“The weirdest part was that they’d taken half of each of our cash out of our envelopes and then put the rest back in drawers,” he said. “When we counted it, we realized we were missing money.”
All told, Issigonis estimates about $5,000 in cash and valuables was taken.
Issigonis reported the theft to the RCMP and said he’s since connected with other neighbours who told him they are missing valuables as well.
“The observation I can make is that my possessions are stolen out of my unit between the day of the fire and the day of the access,” he said.
When he raised the issue with the restoration company, they told him that theft is unacceptable but “ultimately, you are responsible for your own possessions,” he said.
Regardless of who actually took his belongings, the restoration company should be responsible, given that they were supposed to be in control over who could come and go from the building, Issigonis reasons.
“I get the idea that my chances of having someone own up to accountability are slim,” he said.
Barclay Restorations did not respond to a request for comment on the story.
North Vancouver RCMP Const. Mansoor Sahak said, as of Dec. 29, there had been only one complaint brought forward, but the investigation is active, and police encourage other potential victims to come forward.
The experience has been another low blow during a tough ending to 2022, Issigonis said. More than 100 renters have now been told the repairs to the building will take at least a year and a half, and that they will be required to move out and end their leases.
“As soon as we get all the things out of our units, then we can get our damage deposit back and then we just have to find a new place, essentially,” he said.
